


Taonga me te Tai

by Dracoravebird



Series: We Know the Way [2]
Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Crab Drider Tamatoa, F/M, I'll add more tags as i go, mildly so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:00:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26684053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dracoravebird/pseuds/Dracoravebird
Summary: “Treasure and Tide”Some years before Moana’s voyage, another mortal was set on a path she likewise didn’t fully understand. All she knew was that Kai, the Sea, had taken her in. Had made her a demigod, so she could overcome the cruelty of a man she never wanted and a family who didn’t care.Some years before Maui’s return, Tamatoa was living comfortably in Lalotai. Or, as comfortably as one could when in near complete isolation, constantly fending off intruders and attackers. He had found Maui’s hook, but he still couldn’t find the Heart. And he doubted that would ever change.[Re-uploaded after computer hiccup...]
Relationships: Tamatoa (Disney)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: We Know the Way [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934428
Comments: 11
Kudos: 9





	1. Kupua

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently, my computer had a hiccup and somehow, my first attempt at this has been deleted. I went back, did some cleanup, mild edits, but it's largely the same. Sorry, and thanks for the patience.

At first, all she could hear was her own breath. Loud in her ears, while her pulse was a dull drumming. Her head felt light and floaty. Full of fluff.

Then, sea spray. She was wet. Lying in the sand, with the waves lapping gently at her from shoulders to ankles and back again. Sun was warm on her skin while the air was cool.

Out of reflex, she tried to open her eyes… and she did? Lana blinked, staring up at sky and clouds and sunshine. Adrenaline jolting through her, she shot upright. She was on a beach, but not one she recognized. Not her home island.

It came crashing down. She remembered the attack, her eyes stinging and tears sliding down her cheeks at how Iakopa had brutally gouged her eyes out and tossed her off a cliff, into the sea. She was aching all over. Worried she was hurt, she gazed down and saw… tattoos? Up both arms and legs? Even on her chest?

A wave rippled in front of her, with a hushed syllable almost like her name. Lana froze.

She had her eyes back, and she was hearing her name in the waves. Dreaming. She was dreaming.

Another ripple, whispering her name.

Lana raised her wrist to her mouth and bit firmly. And it hurt. She tasted saltwater on her skin, and she felt the pain. No… She wasn’t dreaming.

When a mound of water rose up from the waves, taking an amorphous but obvious shape, Lana froze, staring with wide eyes. The waves at the blob’s base rippled with hushed syllables and dancing droplets. She had washed up. The Sea… Kai…

“You saved me.”

The blob nodded. It rose a bit more, the space beneath its top flattening until she could see her reflection.

With reluctance, Lana stood on wobbly legs. Cocoa brown, almost black hair bound back with an orange sash, and a red sash kept her dress closed. That hadn’t changed. What HAD changed… Black tattoos stood out on sand-colored skin along her limbs and chest, all alongside freckles. Amber-colored eyes bore flecks of sapphire and emerald. What stood out the most, however, were the fact her eyes weren’t like those of a person. They were those of a snake.

“What…?” The sentence trailed off when she saw her tongue. It was a pale pink, tipped in white, and it was forked.

Sticking it out, she saw it was much longer than before as well. Stretching it out, it could reach her collarbones. Her first thoughts were that she could pull off a serious haka with all these changes. The crest of water bent down and gently booped her nose.

“Am I… What am I, now?”

A rippling wave brought more syllables. Kupua.

“I’m… A demigod?!”

Another nod.

She fell to sit back down in the sand. The blob fell and returned to the waves. Demigod. Well, demigoddess. But still. Demigoddess. That put her on even footing with that brute, Iakopa. She could hold her own if he came for her.

Right…?

Lana stood back up, brushing herself off.

\---------

Things were… different. It was all very confusing. Everything just seemed to hit her at once as she stumbled around her little island, exploring.

The most obvious was that her eyesight wasn’t quite as good as it used to be. Anything further than six inches from her face was a blurry silhouette and hazy colors. Whether this was because she now had a snake’s eyes or it was lasting damage from the attack, she wasn’t sure.

The second thing she contended with was her tongue. Despite its length, it seemed capable of retracting and fit comfortably in her mouth as it usually would. But, as it was forked, she started thinking of lizards and snakes, and… well… gave flicking the appendage a try. It felt strange to do it, and the action wasn’t as graceful as an actual snake’s, but when she drew her tongue back in…

It was like smelling and tasting all at once. Salty sea air. The grass. The flowers. It gave her such a bad headache that she just curled up in the shade and hoped for a quick death.

But thankfully, death didn’t actually come. Not today, anyhow. When she awoke, it was to warm sunshine on her skin and a soft breeze. When her eyes fluttered open, she found her gaze had cleared up, and she could again see as she normally would, though there was some haze and blur when she glanced around too fast.

The smell-taste thing was less oppressive, now. Trying a couple times, she wasn’t sure what she was sniffing for… until she stopped and gathered her thoughts. Coconut. Just find a coconut so you can get some water, she told herself. Considering, she thought of the taste, the smell. Tried to remember both at once, even it her brain still felt a little haywire at that. But as she continued trying to get this new… thing… working, she noticed it. One side of her tongue’s fork tasted very faintly like coconut.

It took days of practice to get it working proper and to get the hang of flicking her tongue despite her teeth. She had managed to find coconuts, mangoes, and even buried clams despite the tide being in and said clams being both buried and underwater.

She was alone, but she was alive. More importantly, she was alive, and hopefully far away from both Iakopa, and her family. Remembering their harsh words and demands to marry him still stung. But she pushed it aside. She was a demigoddess, now. She’d outlast them all. And she needed to master whatever powers Kai had given her.

Quietly, she walked to the shore, staring out at the blue before swallowing hard. “What do I do? Er… What CAN I do?”

The wave in front of her rippled in a pattern that sounded like “Thisssss…” And a wave surged up over the rest, gliding over her feet and past her ankles. There was a tugging sensation. While she wasn’t moving, she felt something side her swaying. Rocking. Moving. Push, and pull. Push, and pull.

“What do you mean, ‘this?’”

Another tiny surge, this time halfway up her shins. The sensation intensified a small but noticeable fraction.

This. The waves. Push, and pull. Could she… move water? She had heard some demigods – there were very few of them, but enough for many stories – had powers that included manipulating elements. She heard of Keahi, Demigod of Fire, who could conjure flames by punching thin air. She had heard of Maui, who had pulled up islands and could push a boat forward with a single hard breath. Could she do that with water? And if so, how?

Lana considered this for some time, staring across the waves.

“Can’t you tell me more?”

No reply came. Pouting, she watched the waves lap at her toes. Push, pull. Push, pull. Lana glanced at her hands and back to the ocean before slowly tugging at the sensation she had built up inside her, and making a pushing motion with her hand.

Where she expected something monumental, what she got was a small ripple. Noticeable with no cause but herself, but only a ripple.

Pouting, she brought both hands up, mentally grabbed onto the sensation of waves, and shoved. Water surged outwards. Just as she felt accomplishment, the wave that came back was big enough to knock her flat on her back in the sand. Blinking up at the sky, she huffed and managed to sit up.

"Okay, that… That’s a thing.” Lana stood and brushed herself off.

As a wave receded, she reached out and instead of pushing, pulled. The water rushed up to her waist at the motion, before receding fast. Pulled by that invisible force or sensation, she ended up face-planting. She had, thankfully, managed to close her eyes in time, and the water of the next wave washed the sand away.

“This is gonna take some getting used to…”

\---------

She found a rocky alcove not far from a grassy, shaded hill. Lana made a lean-to, a campfire, gathered some fruit that grew around the area, and then decided to start practicing.

It was weird. Indescribably. Like the phantom sensation of rocking in a hammock, or being rocked in the waves when floating on one’s back. She had to stand and imagine that sensation, build it up until she felt it despite holding perfectly still in knee-high, calm water. The shape of the rocks, like two arms curved to face each other, had little if any turbulence. The only waves made were her own.

Honestly, the hardest part of the matter was figuring out how hard of a push got how much of a push back. Or pull, too. Figuring out what movements worked best, until she had mastered waves. And she wondered what else she could do as, some… Days? Weeks? A long while later.

What was it the village elder, old man Mano, told her and other children when speaking of creation and the primal elements? That water “danced?” That didn’t help much. Unless... Maybe she could use that?

She began humming as she took a stance, followed by singing and swaying of hips.

_I messed up tonight_  
_I lost another fight_

She managed to lift a blob of water up in her hands, only for it to burst when lifted to chest-level. Frowning, she continued the dance and tried again.

_I still mess up but I'll just start again_  
_I keep falling down_

She managed to lift another blob, and this time, it held its shape. She pouted, concentrating, dancing with a blob of water holding shape in either hand.

_I keep on hitting the ground_  
_I always get up now to see what's next_  
_Birds don't just fly_  
_They fall down and get up_  
_Nobody learns without getting it wrong_

She pulled the two blobs into ribbons of water, making them follow her motions in her hula dance, her hips swaying, hands and feet moving, with practiced grace.

_I won't give up, no, I won't give in_  
_'Til I reach the end_  
_And then I'll start again_  
_No, I won't leave_  
_I wanna try everything_  
_I wanna try even though I could fail_

Gritting her teeth as the ribbons wobbled, threatening to collapse and return to the water beneath her, Lana took a deep breath and continued.

_I won't give up, no, I won't give in_  
_'Til I reach the end_  
_And then I'll start again_  
_No, I won't leave_  
_I wanna try everything_  
_I wanna try even though I could fail_

And when she finished, she stated it all over again, with more water than mere thin whips. The second dance yielded multiple ropes of water following her. The third, waves flowed along the outsides of her legs, following her steps.

She could do this. She could DO this!

\---------

Weeks flew by. She only knew because she was keeping tally by making notches on sticks. Just as she was mastering her abilities with the water, she learned of another power.

Midsummer was on the horizon. It was the fourth night Lana had woke up to douse her fire because she was too hot. There was a syrupy, needy heat in her veins she couldn’t pin down or get rid of. It annoyed her. And it made her decide to say fuck it and wade into her training pool to cool off.

Wading in turned into floating on her back in the knee-deep water, and sleeping there. The change came when she was awoken by late-morning sun in her face. When she awoke, it was to a tickling sensation around her arms and legs. Cracking an eye, followed by both eyes shooting open, Lana saw her form had changed. She leaned to peer down at the water.

Her face and torso were human, and quite beautiful, just as her human form. Fair skin faded into glossy scales of black and golden yellow, covering her arms like a pair of long gloves and ending in wicked claws. Her stomach, shoulders, and cheeks were flecked with rogue scales here and there like freckles. Dark hair, black at the roots and fading gold at the ends, was bound back. Her eyes were a dark but warm brown, with pupils mere slits on the background. However, below the hips, she was a serpent. A yellow-bellied sea snake, her tail quite long and ending in a paddle-like tip. The patterns in her scales on said paddle mimicked the tattoos still visible on her arms in lines of golden scales, and the edges of her tail’s belly scales.

Just as she was ready to panic, she remembered. Stories of demigods who could shapeshift. But she had shapeshifted into a monster. Her mind began to race with questions.

It took her days to figure out how to move and swim properly in the new form. Even longer to learn how to change back. Another thing to practice. More powers surfaced over time.

She could continue her travels and explorations in her dreams, though she never strayed far from the island or her body at first. She could sense the tides in her heart, in her bones. She could sense vibrations in the ground and changes in the temperature around her.

She continued keeping notches. By the time she mastered what she guessed was either most of or all her powers, five years had passed. Time had flown, not that she minded. This was the happiest she had been in her whole life, thus far.

As she cackled to herself, riding a wave as she stood on two feet, skating across the sea and dolphins playing in her wake… she didn’t notice she was being watched. Not at first. But as she rounded the cove and wove between two rocky spires, she saw a ship. A hokule’a, stuck on a reef because the tides were out. She could see one of the wayfinders upon in waving his arms, could hear him shouting distantly.

Pouting, Lana brought a hand out, turning the wave she rode so it carried her to their ship. There were gasps and murmurs when she landed neatly on the deck, the wave melting into the water below.

“Stuck?” She asked, for lack of better greeting.

“Very.” The chief nodded, frowning. “We’re sorry to trouble you, demigoddess. But we saw you and… we hope you will help us.”

“Sure. I’ve, uh… never moved something as big as a boat, but I can certainly try.”

“Thank you. We’re low on supplies and the other ships already moved on.”

“They left you?”

“Not much choice.” He told her. “It was either leave, or be stranded with us.”

Lana nodded, understanding. Glancing about, she surveyed the water around them before coming to a decision. “Alright… Either hold onto something or move to the middle of the deck.”

They did so, many curious gazes on her. Lana stood by the front of their hokule’a, taking a deep breath as she slid her feet shoulder-width apart. Her hands and torso shifted to one side as if holding a ball, before pushing outwards. They watched as the water was shunted forward. Lana then pulled it back, drawing water up under the ship.

Push, pull, push, pull… The waves she drew up built and built until, finally, the ship was lifted and carried backwards, off the reef and to deeper water where it belonged. There were several cheers, and even more when Lana left just long enough to get some coconuts and fruit from the island to bring to them.

“Here.” A wave washed the supplies up onto deck for them. “To keep you going until you get there.”

The chief seemed stunned, blinging several times before holding his spear out to her.

“Um…”

“As a gift, for your help. We would’ve been stuck for a long time, unable to get to your island or get away. For this, we are grateful.”

After a moment, she accepted the spear, stunned.

“Thank you.”

\---------

Even after the ship was long gone, Lana was struck.

She had never been given anything. In gratitude, as a gift, or otherwise. It was always “earn it,” even with clothes and food. But she had been given a chief’s spear, the fine and sturdy wood dark with a soft, silky tassel and a shark-toothed edge. It was longer than she was tall by a good foot or so.

It was easy to get attached to the weapon. She named it Ali’i. “Chief.” And she immediately began training with it. Clumsily at first, as she had never handled a weapon. Back home, only male dancers danced with spears. Women danced with flowers. Though, she had heard of talk it was different on most other islands.

It was a sunny day, three years later, when an abandoned hokule’a caught on that same reef. There was no one on it, and after some investigating, she saw why. The mooring line had snapped, and the smooth, aged bottom of the ship likely hadn’t been pulled up on beach far enough. There were no supplies in its hold, no bedding in its hut. She closed its sail and brought the ship onto her island, but let it sit there for a two more years – though she kept it maintained and in good shape. She wasn’t sure she wanted to leave her home.

She was safe, here.

WAS being the proper term, on the tenth year of her new home.

Lana awoke to the smell of smoke, and to light in the darkness. Bolting to sit upright, she saw her ship’s sails were being burned.

She rushed to the beach, only to skid to a stop when she saw a familiar figure standing before her. Her blood ran cold. He was just as he remembered her on the night he had dragged her to the cliffs by her hair.

Red leather loincloth with matching bracers and footwraps. He wore a braided cord of teeth round his neck, and a carven wooden mask painted red and white. White stripes were branded into his arms and thighs, and in his hand, he carried a great axe of blackened wood with an obsidian edge.

“I almost didn’t believe it when they said you’d been hiding here this whole time!” Iakopa scoffed, stepping toward her. “The gods’ gifts are wasted on you.”

Lana held her ground, fear quickly turning to anger, bubbling in the pit of her chest. “I could say the same of you. Someone who beats unarmed women, who threatens to rape and kill them, doesn’t deserve the power of a demigod.”

“The powerful exist to rule over the weak.” He halted, dark eyes glinting beneath his mask.

“Then I will rule over YOU. This is your only warning. Leave me alone.”

“Your parents should’ve drowned you when you where born!” Iakopa lunged at her.

Weapons clacked together as she batted his axe aside. She was on the defensive. Blocking blow after blow, circling and side-stepping. And with every failed attack, Iakopa frothed in rage. Soon, he was shouting. Throwing all his strength into his attacks. Lana yelped as he seized her spear, whirled, and kicked her hard in the stomach, sending her flying into a rock. Blinking the haze away, she watched as he broke her spear over his knee and tossed both ends to either side.

He then turned to her, axe clutched in his hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll take your head back to your parents.”

Gritting her teeth, Lana rushed forward, hand waving toward the sea. Iakopa shouted as a torrent of water surged through the air, slamming him against the rocks. Just as he recovered enough to try and stand, a second torrent slammed into him, and a third. Nearly drowning him. Breaking his ribs. He lunged with a shout. Lana sidestepped, water wrapping around him. Squeezing before she turned, hauling him over her head and banging him hard against the ground.

Arms shaking, Iakopa struggled to pick himself up off the grass. He failed, letting out a wet, gurgling shout as a spear of ice skewered him through the back, between his shoulders. He was pinned to the grass like an insect to a board. Blood surged from the wound. Up his throat, into the grass.

“Speaking of drowning…” Lana growled, bringing her hands up, a crest of water rising to either side of her. “Can you swim, o’ demigod of death?”

He tensed, gaze snapping to her.

Before he could retort, he saw the water recede. It began rising up in the distance, coming toward the island. A tsunami rushed toward him. He screamed as she put all her strength and focus into it. His ankles and wrists were frozen together with ice harder than rock. No paddling or flailing. He was carried far out into the ocean. Out of sight, and out of mind.

Lana’s eyes fluttered as she fell to her knees. Dizzy. Faint. She had never used that much power before. She fought off the faintness, turning and pushing a torrent of water up over her ship. There was a hiss as the smoldering remains of the sail were doused. Thankfully, the aged wood was too weathered to be burned so easily.

In the newfound moonlit dark, she peered to where her spear had been thrown. Both pieces retrieved, she took them to her camp and set them in her lean-to. In retrospect, a demigod(dess) using a mortal weapon was a dumb idea, and she could use her powers more effectively without it. At least she could now use ice spears, she supposed. She'd need to practice the ability that had come out in spur-of-the-moment outrage.

The spear was gone. As was her safety.

\---------

Lana had chosen to leave her island. On her ship, which she chose to name Noelani. Heavenly Mist.

The villagers on the island she came to were welcoming enough, if a bit wary. They agreed to make sails for her. All the while, she fretted privately at what she should do. She had hoped, after ten years, he'd given up. Clearly not. Not immediately using her powers had been foolish. And now, she wondered is he'd hunt her forever. If she'd ever escape. How she could train, or who she could train with, to become strong enough.

It was when the sails were nearly complete that she lay asleep amidst a grove of coconut trees that she explored the island in her dreams, and something new happened.

She saw a glint, on the horizon. On the water, where her spear had landed. The world faded out around her, as did her sense of self. She… melted. Lana could feel waves, followed by cool, humid air. She heard… coins. Coins clinking and sliding against one another. Ocean waves. The creaking of a boat. She saw two shadows fighting a much larger one. Heard cheers. Then, she smelled smoke. Heard arguing voices. A scream, from one of them. “Goodbye and good riddance.” A haze of bright colors and soft glows. A silhouette passed her. A shadow of a man above, crab below, searching for something. Then, he found it. A fishhook.

“Demigoddess?”

Lana jolted awake, blinking. One of the villagers stood before her.

“Your ship’s sails are finished.” The man told her, keeping his distance.

“Thank you.” She stood, brushing herself off. “I need to speak to your wayfinders.”

His brows furrowed.

“Please.”

After a moment, he motioned for her to follow, taking her to a fale where some men and a few women had gathered, sitting in discussion with legs crisscrossed. They fell quiet when they saw her.

“I need directions to Lalotai.”

\---------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Lana’s dance is something like (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb0J5tXSBTY), with the first half of Try Everything by Shakira laid over it. Not my video, obviously, but it’s a good dance wonderfully executed. (“Try Everything” because AU where the world Moana takes place in is a separate universe/ fantasy world… *shrugs* )


	2. Te Kaipupuri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The Collector"

It took weeks to get there, to the gateway. A few days to figure out how to open it. When she passed down into the Realm of Monsters, Lana was stunned.

Brilliant colors. Flora and fauna looked almost exclusively seafaring. Bright colors, muted light, bioluminescence everywhere… It was beautiful, in an oddly haunting sense of the word.

A chill slid down her spine. Flicking her tongue, she could tell this place was full of unfamiliar smells only vaguely recollected by the monstrous portion of her, the part that could shapeshift. For now, she wanted to remain small and unassuming, harder to notice. For the best, she supposed.

The dreams she’d had since the first one had showed her a path. As she walked, she spied a few small landmarks to use. The breadcrumb trail led her to the deep, dark bottom of an immensely broad trench where there were no plants or life to be seen, save for the eerie glow from a few geysers and cracks in the ground.

There, surrounded by an empty field, a spire of giant sea shells stood. Vast enough that the top poked through the barrier into the ocean above. Lana could see a soft, golden glow at the small entryway in front. Well, comparatively small, to the rest of the spire.

This was it. This was the place. It seemed… lonely. She wondered if the resident was a recluse.

There was a scent on the air. One she couldn’t place. A scent that had her instincts squirming strangely. Not good or bad, not move closer or flee for her life. A vague familiarity, maybe from her dreams, but she couldn’t be sure. Of all her abilities, the powers of the mind’s eye were still difficult to use, much less master.

“Hello?” Lana called out.

No answer came. 

Swallowing hard, she stepped up to the entryway, which was curtained by vines and hanging moss. The splash of greenery felt vaguely sticky against her arm when she pushed it aside.

Her eyes went wide. The inside of the spire was the center of a great shell, the top being that of an open clam. The floor was sand, its expanse hedged with bioluminescent plants, save for the back wall, which had somewhat chaotically but vaguely organized piles of treasure. Off to the side was a spring. Freshwater, from the taste on her tongue.

Near the chamber’s center was the largest mound of treasure. And upon that pile was… a massive ivory fishhook. Like the one stories said Maui carried. Had Maui been here? How did he lose the hook? Was the old story true? Shaking her head, Lana pushed those questions aside, calling out again.

“Hello? … Is anyone here?”

Again, nothing.

Lana slowly stepped into the chamber, glancing around. She saw no bedding or living space. Nothing. Just treasure and plants and a pond under muted blue light. If she hadn’t come down midmorning, she wouldn’t be able tell if it was day or night.

“Hello?” She called a touch louder. “Hello! Is anyone home?!”

The floor rumbled under her. Lana immediately backed up, feet shoulder-width apart and hands swaying around herself, ready to reach for the pond’s water if she needed. 

Sand fell away as the central mound rose up on four—No. Three-and-a-half legs. Pincers gave a single noisome snap. A human torso arose from the sand, and after a moment, she realized he’d been laying flat on his front and buried, save for the shell of his lower half.

Lana was stunned.

Human from the waist up, beast from the hips down – some monsters were like that, from the tales. In his case, his lower half was an enormous coconut crab. He WAS big, easily four times the height of a human man. 24 feet, if she had to hazard a guess. His human portion was broad in the shoulders and muscled. A person could sit in the palm of his hand, if desired. 

And he was… handsome. Very much so. Cocoa skin, accented by a dusting of purple around his eyes – which were a powdery seafoam color, she noticed. Glossy black hair reached his hips or so, bound back loosely with a purple sash that matched his lavalava. Antennae swept back from his head at the temples, long and graceful, dusky blue striped with pastel mauve.

The chitin covering his arms and the crab portion of him was a purplish blue, with a dusting of orange and gold around his pincers. The undersides of his legs had paler blue striping. What really struck her was the fact the back of his legs and his shell were plastered with treasure. Gold, gems, oceanic glass, pearls of all sizes, shiny shells and abalones… Her eyes went wide at the opulent display, which matched the heavy gold bracelets round his wrists and the rings on his fingers.

Instantly, Lana relaxed her stance. She did NOT want to fight this guy.

“Well, well, well… What have we here?” He leered as he leaned over her, hands on his hips. “A demigoddess. Awfully bold of you, walking into someone’s home uninvited. I’d think your masters would teach better manners.”

“I’m… sorry.” She bit her tongue at the jab, as she WAS intruding. “But I’m under the impression you could help me.”

The man… monster… seemed taken aback by this, looking her up and down. “Help? YOU? You barge into my home, uninvited, and a demigoddess, no less! WHY would I help you?”

She shrugged. “Dunno. But I figured I could ask instead of assuming.”

With a growl, he reached down and scooped her up. Uncaringly, but not hurtfully. She ended up falling back against his fingers before sitting up in his palm, legs to either side of his wrist and toes resting on a thick, gaudy gold bracelet. She was little more than a doll, in his grasp.

“Who are you, and moreover,” his voice dipped to a low rumble, “how did you hear about me?”

“My name’s Lana. And… I didn’t hear about you. Um… I’ve been having visions. So… I came looking for you.”

“Visions.” He scoffed, angry tone falling away. “That’s rich.”

“Please. Another demigod is trying to kill me. He—”

He went rigid, a flicker of fear darting over his face before he could fully stop it. “Who? Give me a name.”

“Iakopa. Why?”

A relieved sigh left him, and he didn’t answer.

“I’m not a skilled fighter.” Lana told him. “In my visions, I saw you fighting someone. I—”

“I’m not teaching you. Or sparring withough.” He snapped, turning his hand and dropping her, only cocking a brow when she landed nimbly on her feet as he rested his hands on his hips. “Been there, done that.”

She glanced at his severed leg. “Then help me find some weapon or artifact I could use against him! You’re obviously pretty resourcef—” 

“Nope.”

“But—”

“I said NO, babe.” He loomed over her. “Now get out. Before I change my mind.”

Lana sighed heavily, shoulders slumping as she pouted. Still, she turned, and walked off, leaving his home. She paused, there, outside the threshold, glancing back.

If he did have his leg torn off by another demigod, she could see where he was coming from. Especially if he had been attacked and wounded by one he had taught to fight, as he implied. Still, better to have tried and failed than to have not tried at all, she supposed.

Leaving the trench, she found herself in a sparsely forested space with grass and anemone trees, and a few carnivorous plants. She could see the hill up above where the entry was. Could see coral shelfs, and shapes moving in the distance. Could hear whales singing and watched as a mother and calf passed overhead.

It was beautiful. And she supposed with no people around, Iakopa would be hard-pressed to find where she went. Unless he found the village that had made her new sails. Even so, she could keep training, down here. Practice making ice, since she had found that ability. New things to explore and things to do. So coming here wasn’t a complete loss.

Now, she just had to figure out what was and wasn’t edible. 

\---------

No fish had passed, today. As annoying as it was, Tamatoa knew he’d have to hunt. He needed to patrol his territory, anyways. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

He set out around midday. Most predators were sleeping, most prey was feeding. Antennae in front of him, looking for scents and promising signs, he made his way down the north side of the trench, up out onto the rolling, sparsely-wooded plains of the caldera.

Halting, he caught it. A new scent. One that didn’t belong. His territory didn’t see intruders often, mostly because of the coral-shelved cliff face. Any of the bigger predators would get stuck down here and starve if they fell in, and smaller monsters didn’t want to deal with him. The added inconvenience on top of disturbed sleep and an empty stomach stoked his temper to a near boil.

He was NOT happy. And when he found the intruder, they wouldn’t be, either.

Tracking the scent was easy. It was a sweet smell. Somewhere between nectar and citrus and sea-spray. He could tell from the scent it was a female monster. And she’d chosen the wrong time of year to visit. The scent led him across a small valley and into a grove up on a hill. Some of the non-stinging anemone trees grew here. He could see where scales had rubbed the tree’s trunk and branches. A snake, then. Wonderful.

He found her near a shallow, freshwater river, where some durian trees grew. There, he saw the female. Her serpent portion was that of a yellow-bellied sea snake. Not as venomous as a krait monster, so that was a relief. And she was small. Only about half his size. Maybe a juvenile. She stood tall on her tail, reaching up and investigating the fruits.

In slow, careful, quiet steps, Tamatoa crept closer to her. Once in striking distance, he lunged.

The female cried out as she was tackled and shoved to the ground. Before he could grab her, she twisted, claws raking toward him. Cold enveloped his legs and both pincers. He stared, blinking at her, before sneering.

“YOU?!” He spat, squirming against the rather solid ice that had frozen him to the ground. “I could’ve killed you, you little idiot!”

Lana blinked, stunned. “Uh… Sorry?”

“You should be. First, barging into my home, now intruding in my territory in this form…! The nerve!”

She arched a brow at him. “Your… territory?”

“Yes. The space in which I live and hunt. Mine.” He paused, and folded his arms. A pointed glance downwards told her what he wanted.

“Sorry.” A wave of her hand melted the ice, water pooling beneath them as she pushed herself upright.

“You are the second demigod I’ve met who’s completely clueless.” He muttered, shaking his head as he turned to leave. “Go home! Before something bigger and angrier decides to eat you. Or, more importantly, before other demigods show up!”

Gritting her teeth, Lana darted forward, slithering out in front of him. It surprised him enough for him to back up a step. “One, I don’t have a home. Two, I said I’m sorry. Three, what the hell is your problem? Besides the obvious.”

Seizing her in a pincer – firm, but not hard or hurting her – he shoved her aside, continuing his march home.

“Are these fruits edible?”

Tamatoa halted, paused, and turned to look at her with narrowed eyes.

“There aren’t many animals around, and I can’t find any, um… ‘normal’ seems subjective.”

“I could lie to you. You realize that.”

“Yeah, but why would you? What do you have to gain, tricking me into eating something poisonous?”

“Peace and quiet?” He drawled with a small, crooked grin. “You ARE an uninvited guest.”

Lana pouted at him. After a moment, she turned away, moving back to the trees, rising up on her tail as she continued to try and figure it out on her own. The fruits were gourd-shaped and sickly green, and spikey. Moreover, they didn’t smell very appetizing. But she was curious, hungry, and didn’t want to go all the way back to her boat for supplies.

After a moment of watching her and being ignored, Tamatoa felt the smallest flicker of curiosity. As well as some interest in the string of pink pearls she wore, which – like her dress – seemed able to change size to accommodate when she shapeshifted. He had encountered several demigods, but she was the only one he knew of that turned into a monster rather than a menagerie.

“You’re going to get yourself hurt, babe.” He muttered, striding back to her and watching.

“I’m sure you’ll get over it.” She huffed, not looking down at him.

Rolling his eyes, he slammed a closed fist sideways against the tree. Several fruits were dislodged, as was the demigoddess, who all but fell into his arms. Her eyes went wide, a blush creeping over her cheeks. Summarily, he dropped her, a satisfied smirk on his face at the thud and soft grunt from her as he turned to leave.

“Yes, they’re edible. The ones that fell are ripe.” He said with a sarcastic wave. “You’re welcome.”

\---------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I had a hard time deciding how the initial meeting between these two would go, but I think I'm happy with it.


	3. 'A'ole Wale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Not Alone"

She moved camp to the stream. Good source of food, clean water, trees to sleep in… It was a good spot, and she could see the… landing-pad for lack of better term, beneath the gateway, off in the distance on clearer days when mist wasn’t too heavy.

A few days had gone by with no signs of the crab monster. Lana made a mental note to ask him his name if she saw him again.

For now, she was practicing. Standing with feet shoulder-with apart, hands comfortably splayed as she moved a circle of water around herself. Her movements were fluid like her medium, motions slow, smooth, and controlled in a way that clearly showed she’d been practicing over a decade. Part of her wondered what she’d be able to do in a thousand years, like Maui or other demigods, but for now, she put it out of her mind.

For now… Inhale, pull, exhale, push. Inhale, pull, exhale, push. The rope of water in her invisible grasp wavered when she felt soft vibrations beneath her feet, but she recognized the gait and the intensity. It was the crab-monster.

“I thought I told you to leave.” His voice was more inquisitive, exasperated, than really upset. “Bound and determined to get yourself eaten?”

“Bound and determined to stay away from my apparent nemesis. I’m safer down here than I am up there.” Lana told him, motions still steady and easy. “Why? Here to try and tell me otherwise?”

“No, no… By all means. Being eaten’s not the way I’d want to go, but you do you, babe.” He walked past her.

She let the water drop with a sploosh. “What’s your name?”

Pausing, he turned to quirk a brow at her. “Why?”

“Because we keep bumping into one another—”

“You’re squatting in my territory, which I’m trying to patrol at the moment.”

“So, I would like to know what to call you. My name’s Lana. You are…?” She motioned with one hand for him to fill in the blank. “Unless you want me to make up one?”

“Do NOT. My NAME is Tamatoa. Insolent little…” His voice trailed off into muttering.

“Well, it’s nice to officially meet you.”

He gave a dramatic roll of his eyes. Turning, he made to leave her behind. But he heard her jog to catch up, followed by scales over the ground when she shifted so she could better keep pace.

“Why are you so sure I’ll get eaten?” Lana questioned, brows furrowing.

“Because you’re a small, neophyte demigoddess in way over her head.” Tamatoa informed her in a curt tone. “If you MUST know… Since the Heart of Te Fiti was stolen, fish and animals are getting more scarce. Trees make less fruit. Apparently, it had far-reaching consequences.”

“That was a thousand years ago, though.”

“And? It happened very slowly. Slowly enough that most humans probably think it’s just a folktale.”

She pouted. After all, she had been one of them to think that way. “So, you’re out hunting, too? I could help out if—”

He whirled on her, making her fall backwards with a surprised yelp. “I don’t need your help. You think just because I’m down one leg that I’ll be easy for you?”

“What? No. But—”

“I don’t need your help. And if you don’t follow my rather generous advice, what happens is your own damn fault.”

Lana watched with wide eyes as he walked past her. “Don’t you ever get lonely?”

Briefly, for half a second, he stopped. After that half a second, he left her behind, moving down familiar paths and scent trails that marked his corner of not-paradise.

She didn’t know what to make of him. While inclined to think he was pushing her away because of a past encounter that had given him that lasting injuries, it was discouraging. Part of her wondered if it would be best to move camp and give him the space he apparently wanted.

\---------

Finding any suitable place to camp was an endeavor. Tamatoa was right. Food was scarce. Water wasn’t much an issue, as she had taught herself to pull the salt from water so she could drink it, and there was enough fresh water around. Food, less so. Both animals and fruits.

Lana had been looking around for about a week, even figuring out how to navigate the coral shelves so she could get up the wall. Today was the day she reached the top of the wall opposite of the entryway. Atop was an open field of long grass with only a couple trees. She had to stand tall on her tail to see anything here.

Flicking her tongue, she caught various smells. Some from animal-monsters she had figured out he scents of, feral and lacking any humanoid qualities. There was another smell, though. Navigating new space was… worrying. She knew Tamatoa’s scent, as well as her own and Iakopa’s. She didn’t know how to pick out another monster’s smell, or how to tell whether or not this space was claimed.

Grass made shushing sounds against her scales as she moved forward, glancing around. Hungry and tired of the strange, foul-smelling-great-tasting spiked fruits, she decided she could do with some meat for a change. Scenting the area, she managed to find small tracks in the dirt.

She moved with care, eyes wide and tongue fluttering as she tried to process what was going on around her.

Vibrations in the ground made her freeze. There was something moving close to her. Moving LIKE her. Another snake-monster? Well, not another, as she knew she was technically a demigoddess and nothing more.

She tilted the belly of her tail away from the oncoming movement, defensive as she shielded it and arched up to try and make herself look bigger, bold coloration on full display. Tamatoa’s “advice” echoed in her mind. The vibrations paused, but not before she could pinpoint the direction, the source. Not sure what else to do, Lana gave a long, low hiss in her throat.

Teeth lunged with an answering hiss. With a yelp, she twisted aside. The huge eel monster’s jaws barely missed. Squirming, slithering more clumsily than her, it turned. Its maw gaped, a second set of jaws in his throat snapping at her. The beast was much bigger than her.

A wave of her hand pulled water from the grass. The eel monster rushed her. As Lana pulled up a wall of ice around herself, the eel turned its body. Sliding along the wall to bite at her tail. The teeth couldn’t get through scales. Lana whirled with a shout, whipping her body round. The paddle of her tail collided with its jaw with a crack. The eel shrieked bloody murder, shaking its head.

She melted the wall, her hand pulling the water up and over her head in a hail of spikes. But the eel was fast. Not a single one hit. Jagged teeth scraped her shoulder as the beast threw itself at her. A cry left her when its slimy skin touched the bare, scaleless flesh of her neck. The slime it sported stung like a jellyfish. Burning, stinging heat.

It snapped, and struck. Lana caught its jaws, sharp claws digging at its lips, drawing acrid blood. It moved bodily, the demigoddess wrestling with it. Her arms shook as the inner jaws snapped at her, fangs gnashing mere inches from her face. Its struggles grew harder, harsher, until it managed to wrench its head free. A cry escaped her, its jaws slamming into her side and scraping the skin where scaled flank met bare belly. Slime stung her skin and the wounds.

The smell of blood only seemed to excite it. The eel flew into a frenzy of snapping and shoving. Lana moved aside and shoved her claws into the eel’s gills. Any pretense of emotion flew out the window. She dug in. Ripping. Tearing. The eel screamed. Its wild thrashing carried them both toward the cliff edge.

She noticed that last bit a little too late.

Lana screamed when they went over. Two long bodies falling over one another, smacking into coral shelves and a few stray juts of rock before hitting the ground. The world spun. Distantly, she registered she reverted to human form, and she was face-down. Her ears were ringing. Her stomach lurched, and she only just managed to resist gagging. But that was the extent of her control. Much of her brain was overwhelmed with aching discomfort and stinging burn.

There was a slithering sound as the eel righted itself, and a low crocodilian growl.

A waft of hot air. A crunch. A bloodcurdling shriek, and thrashing.

Arms shaking as she pushed herself at least partly, she saw Tamatoa stood before her. One pair of pincers had crushed – was still crushing – the eel monster’s snout and jaw while he had shoved a hand through the gills and… Blood splattered the sand and grass when he pulled the eel monster’s heart out. The body went limp with a wet gurgle.

“If you’re going to drag something into my territory, you could at LEAST make it something edible.” Tamatoa huffed, tossing the corpse aside as if it weighed nothing.

“Sorry.” Lana pouted, still struggling to just sit up on her knees.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just kill you myself and be done with it.”

“Because I’m… cute?” She gave him a nervous smile.

Tamatoa stared down at her. He had expected bribery, as Maui had and occasionally did when they had traveled together. Instead, what he got was something innocuous, outlandish, and… And he found himself honestly considering it. Groaning in both exasperation and his own moment of weakness, he picked her up and set her on his back.

“I’d better not catch you stealing.” He muttered.

“I promise not to.” Lana smiled briefly and then winced.

“The stinging will go away, after a while.” Continuing his patrol, he moved along the wall, toward the third trap he had set, and thus the third he had yet to check.

“Thank you.”

“Not a problem, babe.” Tamatoa cast a breezy little smile over his shoulder, but it faded as soon as he looked away from her.

* There was a pause, before she spoke up. “That was pretty neat. How you killed that thing. … I guess it’s not edible for other monsters, either, since you left it.”

“I find it hard to imagine eels or eel monsters are edible for anyone. Killing them is easy. Though, I blame you if something worse claims the space it left.”

“Is this whole territory thing… I mean how does it work?”

“About how it works for animals.” They passed under a few drooping, non-stinging anemone trees, the tendrils soft and silky across her skin. “When you claim a territory, it’s a space you must defend so you can hunt, live, breed, etcetera. So, yes. Once we find a spot we like, we tend to defend it to the death.”

“Being I can shapeshift into a monster, couldn’t I take the eel’s spot?”

Tamatoa glanced back at her. “You barely survived THIS fight. Do you think you’d be able to defend that patch, day in and day out? With your size, you’d be challenged far more constantly than I am.”

Lana pouted at him.

“You can spend the night at my den. After that, I expect you to come to your senses and leave.”

“You SAY that, and yet, you keep helping me. I’m getting some mixed messages, here.”

Turning, he gave her a withering little leer.

Her response was only a small, coy smile of feigned innocence.

“Don’t push your luck.” He finally told her.

As they passed the crest of a small hill, he let off a pleased hum, and she saw why. Something had gotten caught in a snare trap. When they drew closer, she saw it from her reclined position. It was like a moa, but bigger, with a sharp beak and darker feathers.

“What is that?” Lana asked softly.

“A mataku.” Tamatoa said as he got the snare loose from its neck. “What humans call a terror bird.”

“I’ve heard stories of those. Never seen one, before.”

Without comment, he turned and made for his den, dragging the kill by its feet. To his relief, his passenger got the hint and went quiet. Halfway home, he turned and saw the demigoddess had fallen asleep.

\---------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Moray eels often have toxin buildup in the flesh that can make predators and people VERY sick. It is NOT recommended that you eat them. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moray_eel#Ciguatera_poisoning)


	4. Nā Mele a me Nā Moʻolelo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Songs and Stories"
> 
> AN: Bits of Tamatoa’s song were cut out for this chapter because I feel part of it was improved when Maui came along. Plot reasons.
> 
> Also, I had a hard time getting this chapter to work. I'm not entirely happy with it, but I wasn't sure how else to do this.

Though she had fallen asleep on gold coins, Lana awoke on soft, warm sand. She could hear water, and feel light on her skin. Could smell the sea. Moreover, she could hear Tamatoa nearby. And he was singing quietly to himself, though still loud enough for her to hear.

_I'd rather be_  
_Shiny_  
_Like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck_  
_Scrub the deck and make it look_

_Shiny_  
_I will sparkle like a wealthy woman's neck_  
_Just a sec!_

_Don't you know_  
_Fish are dumb, dumb, dumb_  
_They chase anything that glitters (beginners!)_

_Oh, and here they come, come, come_  
_To the brightest thing that glitters_  
_Mmm, fish dinners_

Cracking an eye, Lana peered his way. The crab monster was sorting through his treasure, examining and rearranging pieces.

_Yet I have to give you credit for my start_  
_And your tattoos on the outside_  
_For just like you I made myself a work of art_  
_I'll never hide; I can't, I'm too_

_Shiny_  
_Watch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough_  
_Strut my stuff; my stuff is so_

_Shiny_  
_Send your armies but they'll never be enough_  
_My shell's too tough_

_Maui man, you could try, try, try_  
_But you can't expect a demi-god_  
_To beat a decapod (look it up)_

_You will die, die, die_  
_Now it's time for me to take apart_  
_Your aching heart_

After a moment, Tamatoa trailed off, his antennae swishing behind him. Turning, he saw Lana was awake, sitting up on her knees, watching him and listening. He stood with an expectant look, waiting to see what she had to say on the song or its subject matter.

“You have a lovely voice.” She told him with a shy smile.

“Of course I do. When you have over a thousand years to practice something, you get good at it.” Tamatoa informed her, though he was clearly preening at the complement.

A small laugh left her as she stood.

“So!” Tamatoa laid down in the sand and propped his chin on the back of one hand. “What’s your song?”

“My song?” Lana questioned, brows furrowing.

"All monsters have one. Humans use the haka to intimidate one another. As monsters don’t need to do that, we do things differently. We each have our own song that we make, declaring who we are and what our intentions are.”

"So… Your whole deal is collecting treasure and fighting Maui.”

“Yes. And now it’s your turn.” His grin widened. “C’mon, babe. Strut your stuff.”

Lana considered for a long moment. She couldn’t tell if he wanted to know more about her, or wanted her to make a fool of herself. But some part of her, the more monstrous form she could take, began to bubble up as she dug at it. Tamatoa watched as scales crawled up her arms, and her lower half unraveled into a long tail. There must’ve been some enchantment allowed for her dress to change size with her as she turned. Soon, the demigoddess stood before him as a serpent monster once more.

A wave of her and pulled water from above to form icicles. Droplets coming off them began to form a little harmony. It was followed by a voice, and a hula.

_I messed up tonight_  
_I lost another fight_  
_I still mess up but I'll just start again_  
_I keep falling down_  
_I keep on hitting the ground_  
_I always get up now to see what's next_  
_Birds don't just fly_  
_They fall down and get up_  
_Nobody learns without getting it wrong_

_I won't give up, no, I won't give in_  
_'Til I reach the end_  
_And then I'll start again_  
_No, I won't leave_  
_I wanna try everything_  
_I wanna try even though I could fail_  
_I won't give up, no, I won't give in_  
_'Til I reach the end_  
_And then I'll start again_  
_No, I won't leave_  
_I wanna try everything_  
_I wanna try even though I could fail_

Tamatoa stared at her, eyes wide. As she awaited comment, she picked at her claws, looking aside with a shy grin and flushed cheeks.

He gave a breezy little smile. “It suits you perfectly, babe.”

A wave of her hand dismissed the icicles. Lana hesitated, then, before speaking up. “What’s your deal with Maui?”

Tamatoa’s brows furrowed, eyes narrowing.

“You don’t have to tell me.” She amended quickly. “I just—”

“I used to live on an island. Motu Putiputi.” He told her with a frown.

Lana blinked at him, falling quiet.

“It was the island of Te Fiti. And I lived on the opposite side of a few human villages. Over a thousand years ago, the island was attacked by a mo’o. I encountered the demigod Maui. And after fighting with each other for a few days, we ended up working together to kill it. After, he asked me to travel with him. I taught him to fight. He taught me to sail.”

She watched him flick a stray coin, which skittered to a distant corner of the chamber.

“We traveled together for some three-hundred years. Originally, the deal was any treasure we found was split 50-50. But we argued constantly. I wanted to keep the treasure, he wanted to give it to humans. And he never wanted to hear why giving humans magical artifacts was a stupid idea.”

“Is… the story that he stole the Heart of Te Fiti true?”

“Yes.” His expression darkened, gaze falling.

“You were there.” She realized.

“Maui said we were stopping at the island to top off our supplies on our way to visit some humans and see if they needed anything. I went to check on my den. Took a nap amidst my treasure. Woke up and the whole bloody island was blowing up. A volcano that had never erupted before was erupting because he took the heart.”

Lana frowned.

“I ran for the beach, yelling for him. Made it to the bluffs. He was in the form of a hawk, flying away.” A bitter laugh left him. “Looked back and saw me, about to be killed by lava, and he just… kept going.”

“How’d you escape?”

“Jumped off the cliff. Nearly boiled alive until Kai carried me off to the boat. Te Ka knocked Maui out of the sky. He lost his hook and the Heart. I managed to find him on a small, lonely little rock of an island. We fought. I almost killed him, he almost killed me, he ripped off my leg, I knocked him unconscious… Found his hook down here and decided he’ll have to kill me if he wants it back.”

The demigoddess couldn’t help the pitying, empathetic look on her face.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Tamatoa huffed, his gaze returning to her. “And that was the short version, by the by.”

“I’m sorry for what happened to you.”

The apology seemed to just roll off him as his gaze became sharper, more focused. “What about you, hm? I understand you have a nemesis of your own.”

“Before I tell you… Why do you care?”

“I like knowing who my potential enemies are. That, and after telling you MY sordid tale, I think you owe me that much.”

She supposed that was a fair answer. After a moment, she coiled up across from him and folded her arms, using a section of her tail as a pillow. As if preening that he was getting his way, his mouth had curved into a smug little smirk. It was almost cute, but the distraction from what she was about to tell him was brief.

“I was born human. In a village on an island that didn’t have a name. I guess they never got around to it. And life was alright. Parents were kind of overbearing.” Lana shrugged with a sigh. “Wanted me to be a ceremonial dancer.”

Tamatoa arched a brow.

“Tried three separate times to arrange a marriage for me. I managed to drive off all three because I didn’t want to be married to some random guy. Then a demigod showed up on our island.”

He tensed, just barely, but managed to keep his face straight.

“His name was Iakopa. Bound in service to Kahōʻāliʻi. He decided he wanted to marry me. He…”

His gaze followed her movements as she looked away and rubbed her arms.

“He wasn’t kind. My family said it was my fault. Said I would marry him whether I liked it or not because he was a demigod and, according to them, I’d never do any better. After I refused him one too many times, he gouged my eyes out and threw me into the sea. I guess Kai took pity on me, because I woke up on a deserted island. Alone. Safe. With eyes.”

“Lucky you.” Tamatoa mused, noting the familiarity of the tale.

“I stayed on that island for… ten years, I think? I was keeping tally on sticks. Figuring out just… everything, I guess. Before Iakopa found me and attacked me.”

“And how did you find out about me?”

“I have visions. I saw… It’s complicated. But something told me to come here.”

“This… Iakopa… is still hunting you?”

“I impaled him on an ice spear and swept him out to sea with a tsunami. If he’s still alive, he’ll probably try to find me once he recovers.” She shrugged, drumming her claws on her scales. “I can’t blame you for hating demigods.”

“I don’t hate ALL of you. Jeeze.” Tamatoa gave a dramatic roll of his eyes. “I hate ONE of you. Probably the most famous out of you. Especially if you’ve only been at it for ten years.”

Lana hesitated before taking a deep breath, mustering her courage. “Can I stay here? In your territory? I can go elsewhere to hunt, or—”

“Do that, and others will come here trying to fight me for intruding. If you insist on STAYING… I suppose you can stay here. Under a few conditions.”

“Okay…”

“No stealing from me – obviously – and you tell me anytime you find evidence of intruders. Do that, and you can stay. As my guest. Fair?”

“Fair.” Lana nodded, smiling. “Thank you.”

“No, no…” Tamatoa chuckled as he sat up and stretched. “Thank you.”

\---------


End file.
